


Honeypot Harlot

by DawnOfTomorrow



Series: The Unexpected and Unusual Courtship of Senju Tobirama and Uchiha Miho [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Awkward Flirting, F/M, Misunderstandings, but so many misunderstandings, desks are destroyed and dates are missed, happy endings all around, hashirama begs, the ofc has plenty of casual lovers and isn't ashamed of it, until tobirama comes along and infuriates her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 17:02:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16602002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnOfTomorrow/pseuds/DawnOfTomorrow
Summary: Miho Uchiha flipped her hair over her shoulder as she walked through the roads of Konoha, well aware of the looks she was getting. As always, it was a mix of disgust, curiosity, and interest. When it had become known that she not only volunteered for seduction-type missions nobody normally wanted, but that her private life was also filled with many, many short dalliances, and that she preferred it that way, her reputation had been decided.Some of the rumours floating around about her claimed her to be living the way she was for attention, while yet others said she only was the way she was because she had suffered trauma she hadn’t dealt with properly. Neither were true, of course, she just liked things the way they were, and she certainly didn't need anyone interfering with her choices.Really, she didn't want a relationship. Not one like that anyway. Not even with the surprisingly adorable-when-blushing Tobirama Senju. Especially not since he stood her up, ignored her flirting and made an overall nuisance of himself.Thankfully Hashirama is there to clear things up. A little, anyway. He's a bit of a nuisance too, and don't even get her started on Madara.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter is mainly to introduce Miho Uchiha and explain her background a little - she's an unrepentant slut, and she doesn't care about people's prejudices any more than she (or anyone) should - that is to say, not at all. She likes the path she took in life, and that's really all someone could ask for in life. Well, that and maybe a Tobirama. Thankfully, she might just get both.
> 
> Her story with Tobirama doesn't really kick off until Chapter 2, so if you're not interested in the backstory, skip ahead!

Miho Uchiha flipped her hair over her shoulder as she walked through the roads of Konoha, well aware of the looks she was getting. She smirked to herself – as always, it was a mix of disgust, curiosity, and interest, and she’d be lying if she said she didn’t like it, just a little.

The interest, along with the occasional whistle, tended to come from men – the disgust from their disapproving wives, and the curiosity from strangers to the village that didn’t know who she was. Of course, there was few that didn’t know her. If not by name, then at least by reputation.

She knew the nicknames people gave her quite well – honeypot harlot was one of her favourites. It was accurate too – she’d earned her reputation on her back after all. Miho was beautiful, had always been beautiful, and thus been trained for missions that required pretty women early on. When her talent for genjutsu had proven to be unusual even among her clan, her future had been all but decided.

If a mission came along that required a female Uchiha to seduce and/or eliminate a target, she’d be the one that was sent. That was just fine with her – while her targets were hardly ever her type, the knowledge that no other woman in the village would be in her place made it well worth it.

Miho shared the fierce love for her clan that so many Uchiha were proud of. She’d seen a friend of hers be sent on one of those missions once – she’d come back crying, hadn’t been herself for months. Then her first one had come...and she had been fine. The realisation that she could do what many other women struggled to do had come with the fierce determination to fill that particular role.

Most of the members of her clan either admired her or were outright grateful for it, not wanting their wives or daughters or sisters to go on these missions. Of course, people not part of her clan tended to view things differently – as she’d discovered when her clan leader and the leader of the Senju had made peace and formed the village she was wandering through.

It had only been a few short months, she knew, but the tales of the ‘Uchiha whore’ had spread like wildfire, much to her amusement. When it had become known that she not only volunteered for missions nobody normally wanted, but that her private life was also filled with many, many short dalliances, and that she preferred it that way, her reputation was decided.

Miho was sure that if she wasn’t as close to Madara Uchiha as she was, or if she wasn’t also known for her genjutsu skills, she’d suffer ill-treatment beyond hushed whispers and odd looks, but she was both those things and she greatly enjoyed the freedom it gave her.

In fact, she was on her way to see Madara now, having completed a mission the day before. She always took a night to clean herself up and relax before reporting in, unless it was something particularly serious, and proving that a daimyo had been stepping out on his wife was anything but that.

Entering the newly built Hokage-tower, she hummed to herself as she ascended the stairs to the man’s office. He was in, she knew – she’d heard his shouting from the street. She grinned. Her entire clan had a temper, that much was general knowledge. The fact that Madara was prone to...temper tantrums was something the non-Uchihas had discovered quite quickly.

At the moment he was yelling at his friend and the Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Madara’s voice always got that particular whiny note when the wood user was involved – she understood, of course. Hashirama could be infuriating. She hadn’t known him quite as long as Madara had, but oddly enough, it wasn’t far off.

It was a little-known fact – so little known, only two people were privy to it – that Hashirama Senju had lost his virginity to her...and she to him. He’d been her first lover, the first of many, and she was fond of him, even years later. More so when he kept his mouth shut, but that wasn’t in his nature.

She knocked on the open door of the office the two men were in, leaning against the door-frame when they both turned. “Hashirama-san...mind if I borrow my clan head for a few minutes?” Hashirama smiled weakly. “Miho-san! Oh, you’re a godsend! Would you please tell him that he is being entirely unreasonable and needs to work with me here?” Madara sneered and she chuckled.

“Madara-sama...I’m sure you are making perfectly viable points here and that it would be best to take a short break and then discuss things later.” The man gave her a wry smile but nodded. He turned to leave though not before giving his friend a glare. Hashirama just sighed as she turned to follow him.

Really, Hashirama probably wasn’t too far off the truth but Miho was more scared of her clan head’s temper than of Hashirama’s puppy eyes...though it was a close call, really. Madara led her to another office. “Miho. Report from the mission?” She handed him a scroll. “As expected, the guy would hit on anything with a pair of legs.” He snickered. “I’ve seen yours, I’m sure he was quite...captivated.” She chuckled. “He was. Might have been a record, actually. Anyway, though, nothing exceptional to report.”

He nodded. “Will your usual one-week recovery be enough?” She shrugged. “Sure. Truth be told, I didn’t actually touch him. Just put him in a genjutsu and left. He was...old.” Madara grinned. “And here I thought you liked older men.” She shrugged. “Oh sure. Older. Not old – the man was in his seventies. Since it wasn’t technically part of the mission...” She shuddered, sticking her tongue out in disgust.

“Fair enough. You still get a week off. I’m sure you have some relaxing to do.” His grin widened as she stepped closer. “I suppose I do. You know I sometimes get...tense.” His gloved fingers reached out to settle on her hips and yank her closer. She purred as he pressed her against his body – they weren’t together very often, especially not since peace had been formed, but when they were it was memorable...for them both.

She eagerly met his lips when he bent down for a kiss. It left her a little breathless, skin a little flushed. He pulled back not long after, sighing in disappointment. “I need to get back to Hashirama, I’m afraid. Meet me at the compound tonight?” She chuckled. “Sorry, I can’t. I have plans.” Madara growled, pulling her flush against him once again.

“I’m quite envious of your ‘plans’.” She laughed softly. “Oh? Would you like to go in my stead? I’m sure he would be delighted.” Madara laughed, letting go of her entirely. “I’m sure he would. Though, I don’t think I could pull off a dress quite like you.” 

“Why don’t you try one on at the next council meeting? Surely it wouldn’t be any worse than making a fool of yourself the usual way.” The calm words made her turn towards the door – she hadn’t noticed it open at all. In it, with a disgruntled expression, stood another Senju. Tobirama, Hashirama’s younger brother. She smiled warmly at him, receiving a scowl in return.

That wasn’t unusual – the man wasn’t exactly a fan. Though he didn’t know of her involvement with his brother, he was well aware of her reputation. She knew that wasn’t the reason he treated her like he did – no, that would be her clan. Tobirama Senju didn’t like the Uchiha, peace or not. He didn’t treat her as...badly as he did Madara, Izuna or their elders, but he wasn’t particularly nice to her either.

Miho nodded at him as she slipped out of the room – fights between Hashirama and Madara tended to be amusing...ones involving Tobirama did not. The man was too calm, too composed, not willing to be baited – more than once, the men’s fights had gotten violent. She wanted no part of that.

She was a shinobi of course, so it wasn’t like she couldn’t fight...she simply preferred not to. Battlefields had never been her thing. She’d been glad for the peace that had been made between the clans. Miho had felt deeply for those who had lost family in the war – while she had neither parents nor siblings to lose, she’d seen the grief in the faces of others and she had suffered with them.

Her steps once again carrying her through Konoha, she studied the results of a few months of peace – the clans, several of them, were living together mostly peacefully. There were scuffles, conflict even, from time to time, but the process had been smoother than expected.

No doubt because of the three minds that pioneered it – Hashirama’s kindness, Madara’s ability to keep Hashirama’s head out of the clouds, and Tobirama’s genius. She knew well that the man was responsible for nearly every new convenience their shared village had – he was renowned for his brilliant mind, after all.

Stopping at a bakery, Miho looked through the pastries on offer. She settled on a strawberry tart and stepped inside, just in time to hear the last part of two older women’s conversation. “-saw her! It was that Uchiha-slut, I tell you! She must have a dozen children by now!” Even a civilian would have been able to overhear the two talking – to her surprise, she found one of the two to be an Inuzuka. They tended to not be quite as prejudiced as some of the Senju were.

Unaware of just who had entered the bakery, she stepped up to the two women. “Actually, I don’t have any children at all. I’m unable to bear any. What I do, however, have, is a name. I would thank you to use it in any future gossip you indulge in.” Smiling sweetly at the two women, she was delighted when both of them flushed a deep red – the Inuzuka’s tattoos were practically invisible against her skin.

When it became clear that neither of them was going to manage a coherent answer any time soon, she stepped past them to the counter and ordered her pastry. The man who served her did so with a slightly soppy smile – in fact, he gave her a spare pastry too. Giving him her sweetest smile and a generous tip, she was on her way again.

She’d sort-of lied to the women – the nicknames didn’t bother her, however calling people out on their comments was something she thoroughly enjoyed. Miho knew she had an unusually thick skin when it came to things like that as well as her missions – they’d simply never bothered her.

Some of the rumours floating around about her claimed her to be living the way she was for attention, while yet others said she only was the way she was because she had suffered trauma she hadn’t dealt with properly. Neither were true – her parents had died peacefully, of natural causes, and they had given her a wonderful childhood and upbringing. That was more than some 80% of Uchiha and Senju could claim in times of war.

As for attention – while she enjoyed attention from the opposite sex, the main reason for the way she lived was that she liked things this way. She didn’t have an interest in the kind of romance or long-lasting partnerships that other women seemed to long for. She liked the sex, she didn’t need the feelings that came with it.

Whistling quietly, she made her way to her home. It was a small two-bedroom house that Hashirama had erected for her personally. It was a little different from most of the others he’d built in her district – she’d asked for a different layout and had even asked him to make her furniture.

The wood user had been more than happy to oblige in exchange for a kiss to his cheek. While she’d have been perfectly happy to trade a little more for his services – the man was gorgeous after all – she was well aware that Hashirama wasn’t like her, and that if she slept with him again, he’d no doubt want an actual relationship – not only would it make her life incredibly difficult, it would interfere with her missions, probably damage his reputation...well, there were lots and lots of reasons. 

The man was gorgeous, but nobody was that pretty. At the very least, nobody she’d met so far. She was perfectly willing to be proven wrong – so far, however, nobody had managed to do so. Laying back on her bed, she bit into her pastry – it was delicious.

She had just enough time for a snack and a change of clothes before she needed to head out again – she hadn’t lied to Madara, she really had evening plans. They weren’t what he thought they were, but she wasn’t about to shatter what she didn’t doubt were daydreams by now.

Chuckling to herself, she ate the last bite of her pastry and changed into simple exercise gear. Tying her long hair up into a bun, she double-checked her weapon’s pouches and headed out. She was meeting someone indeed, but not for the reason implied by Madara.

No, she was meeting with a Hyuga clan elder...and he was teaching her taijutsu. She knew some already, of course, but the Uchiha weren’t experts in it, and her particular choice in career often required a close-combat approach to conflict resolution. Approaching the Hyugas had been a simple matter. To her surprise, the elder had volunteered quickly, where most of the clan’s members would have simply sneered at her. 

She disliked prejudices quite a bit, but in her experience, the lavender-eyed clan really did consist of judgemental idiots. Her mentor was different though – he was well past fighting age and appreciated the chance to teach a student that was truly willing to learn. He was a shinobi through and through – the rumours didn’t matter to him, and, as he had revealed not long after they started, his grand-daughter had been scheduled for a honeypot mission that had ultimately been assigned to her. According to him, the girl was too shy, too soft and too kind to do well on that type of mission – she believed him.

Though she didn’t know exactly what mission it had been, she’d simply nodded and explained that sparing those not suited to her line of work from taking that type of mission was a large part of why she did what she did...and just like that, she had a mentor that met with her twice per week when she was in the village and taught her what he knew.

His training regiments were strict, at times difficult, but they were effective – Miho could tell how different she moved even after just a few sessions of training. Unsurprisingly, her style of fighting relied on smooth, fluent moves, whereas Uchiha taijutsu tended to favour heavy hits and strong punches – Miho wasn’t weak per se, but she wasn’t as physically powerful as, for example, Touka Senju was.

The woman was a genjutsu expert like her, however, they used their powers very, very differently. Touka was a fighter through and through, hardened in battle. Her genjutsu was a blunt instrument meant to defeat and subdue, whereas hers was finely tuned and often so subtle the victim never knew they were in one at all – not even afterward. Needless to say, Touka thought very little of her. Miho didn’t mind, though she admired the other woman.


	2. Chapter 2

Several hours and a gruelling training session later, she was soaking in her tub, courtesy of Hashirama in her home. She loved the luxurious baths she took whenever she got the chance – she collected oils, herbs, and fragrances to put in the bath whenever she could, leading to an impressive collection of them.

Stretched out in her tub, she let her mind wander. Despite Madara’s invitation – one she fully planned to accept very soon – she didn’t have a lover at the moment. Hadn’t in a little while, actually. She didn’t count missions, of course, as those men weren’t her choice. No, what she wanted was something...new.

There were plenty of men that would be more than happy to share her bed again if she so much as winked at them, but she fancied a challenge. Smiling to herself, she thought about who she could seduce. There were, of course, the Hyugas. They were a good-looking bunch and getting one of them to move past his prejudices could be fun...but it would take a while.

She wanted something more...immediate. A Senju was a possibility – while in public even most men in the clan disapproved, she was well aware of the looks some of them would give her. There were good-looking ones there too after all Hashirama and Tobirama were far from the only attractive clan members.

A slow smile spread on her lips. Now there was a thought – Tobirama Senju. He’d certainly be a challenge. The man was formal, stiff, even and only ever interested in his work. He was practically the definition of a challenge...and she knew well that reserved types tended to be quite rewarding in bed...if they even made it there. Miho didn’t mind desks or the floor either, of course.

Decision made, she considered her strategy. Tobirama was polite if distant. He wasn’t outright rude to her, nor overly dismissive of her, but he had general ‘no trespassing’ signs up around people. A straight-forward approach would probably just get her kicked out, especially if unexpected. She’d have to be subtle.

Thankfully for her, she did subtle perfectly.


	3. Chapter 3

Three days later, Miho was starting to consider the possibility that she might be caught in a very specific jutsu – one that made her invisible to Tobirama alone. She’d been smiling, bending a little lower around him, had been seeking out his company without being too obvious about it...and had received zero reaction for it. None whatsoever. He didn’t so much as look at her cleavage when she leaned onto his desk – the man was almost disgustingly polite!

Deciding that a slightly more forward approach was needed, the next morning, she found herself sitting on the edge of his desk around lunch-time, waiting for him to return from a meeting. When he did, he nodded at her and sat down, acting as if her sitting on the edge of his desk was normal. She squinted at him.

“Tobirama-san...would you like to have lunch with me?” He looked up from his paperwork. “Lunch?” “Yes. It’s lunchtime.” He frowned for a moment before looking around his desk. “I’m afraid I’m far too busy with paperwork. However, I’m sure my brother would be more than happy to take you.” 

A moment and one hand seal later, he was gone. His hiraishin jutsu never failed to make her jump when she saw it – the teleportation jutsu was as impressive as it was...odd. Moments later, Tobirama reappeared, his brother behind him. He simply pointed at her and sat back down at his desk as if nothing had happened. 

Hashirama looked about as confused as she had...until she’d smiled and offered to buy him dango. Lunch with the Hokage had been fun, of course – Hashirama was wonderful company, after all. The fact that his brother had acted the way he had though...while Miho didn’t get turned down often, she knew how to handle it, no problem. Tobirama hadn’t turned her down though – he’d simply ignored her attempts.

That she had no frame of reference for because it had simply never happened to her before. After another training session with her mentor, she schemed again in her tub. Lunch hadn’t worked, and she doubted dinner would either – she knew he worked late.

What she didn’t know was what he did when he wasn’t at work. She had no idea at all – she never saw him outside of the small overlap their lines of work came with. So, the next day she invited Hashirama for lunch again – he bought sushi for them both – and asked about his brother. He’d been delighted to tell her of course, all in the name of Uchiha-Senju relations...not that it had helped much.

Tobirama loved children and jutsu-creation research. Neither of those were things she could use to flirt with him. She’d managed to disguise her interest in the man well enough, between questions about other Senju family members – Hashirama didn’t suspect a thing.

Then, her next mission rolled around a little sooner than expected – an urgent information-gathering mission to a nearby Land. It took her nearly a week and was far more exhausting than her missions normally were. She came back tired, hurt and carrying a lot of urgent intel. She ran across the rooftops of the city rather than walking on the roads – she was keen to get things done quickly, to get home and into her tub.

To her absolute misery, both Madara and Hashirama were out of the village on business. That left her with one person to report to – the one man she didn’t want to see looking like a scarecrow as she was.

He’d actually done a double-take at her appearance when she’d knocked on his door. She’d have been offended if she didn’t know the reason for it – and if she’d been less exhausted. Letting herself drop into one of the chairs in his office, she’d handed him several scrolls of intel and reports...and had been surprised when, in return, she’d received a cup of steaming hot tea.

It was nice tea – a kind of rose flavour she enjoyed a lot. Moaning quietly, she sipped it – the first pleasant thing in nearly a week. Tobirama read through all the information, asking for clarification where needed. By the time he was done she thought she might be too tired to move at all. Teacup empty, she’d realised that he hadn’t asked her any questions in a while.

He hadn’t told her she could go either – as she sat up in her chair with a groan, she was surprised to find him staring at her. “Do you...are you in need of a medic-nin?” She smiled weakly. “No, I’ll be fine. What I need is some sleep and a bath or three. Can I go?”

He looked down at his scrolls and back up at her. “I have no more questions...truth be told, I am unfamiliar with how Madara and my brother handle...you normally.” She snorted at the way he’d phrased it – obviously unaware of the implication. “I get a week to recover, normally. In this case, I think I’d like to request two. Just file the report normally, pass the intel along to the appropriate division and approve my payment.”

“I...see. Uchiha-san, would you like me to accompany you home? You don’t look...well.” She smiled weakly. “Call me Miho, please. And...” She’d wanted to reject his offer, but her strength was draining rapidly. “Yes, actually. I would love some help.”

He’d moved around his desk so quickly she’d almost thought that he might have used a teleportation jutsu, but then she dismissed the thought as stupid. She was just out of it. Very out of it – he’d said something but she hadn’t heard. When two arms wrapped around her back and knees respectively, she let them – they felt nice and they were gentle enough.

She was lifted and carried, she knew that much. A while later, the warm body that had been pressed against her was replaced with cool sheets against her back – the hands withdrew and she almost missed them, as nice as the familiar sheets in her bed felt. She rolled over, snuggling down into the softness.


	4. Chapter 4

Miho awoke in pain – untreated cuts and bruises were hurting, fluids she didn’t want to think about were sticking, and her clothes were messed up and torn. Her bed wasn’t in a great state either – she’d bled on her sheets.

Groaning, she stood and yanked them off angrily. She’d have to buy a new set and it was so difficult to find them in pleasant colours...her clothes joined the pile and she dredged downstairs and practically fell into her tub as it filled.

The water burned on her injuries but she needed to be clean more than she needed to not hurt. One fierce sponge-bath later, her skin was pink but finally clean again. Next was first-aid: she had cuts over her arms and legs and bruises...between them. Her target had proved to be the violent type and unfortunately he’d been alerted that she was a spy – he’d tried to force himself on her, but he hadn’t gotten very far – she’d unleashed her sharingan and ravaged his mind.

She knew he’d be lucky if he ever got to a state where he could wash himself without help again. Her genjutsu wasn’t a blunt tool but self-preservation instincts were a powerful thing and hers had been in full gear. Bruises and cuts dealt with, she dressed herself in her softest robe and made herself a cup of tea.

As soon as she’d sat down on her couch though, she heard someone knock on her front door and groaned – she didn’t tend to get visitors. Her lovers knew better than to stop by unannounced, and she didn’t have very many friends. Most of the people she spent time with lived in the Uchiha compound at the other end of the city. She’d moved out of it eagerly, keen on having her own space.

As such, she would go and visit on occasion, but it was rarely the other way around. Forcing herself up, she walked to her door to check who it was. To her utter bafflement, it was Tobirama Senju. A very...awkward-looking one. Holding a bag of what smelled like food.

She sniffed the air. “Are those pork buns?” He nodded. “I assumed you wouldn’t have much food, and since you were in a state yesterday, I thought this may help.” He handed her the bag and she accepted it with a nod. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” After an awkward pause, he sighed. “I should get going again.”

“Wait!” She called out before she could think better of it. He turned back to her. “Eat with me?” She offered and he looked at the bag. “I only brought food for you.” “Tea then. I made a fresh batch.” She gave him her warmest smile – it was so effective she’d been able to use it to get Madara to apologise to Hashirama on two separate occasions.

“If you insist.” She stepped out of the way to let the man in and directed him to her table. Fixing him another cup of tea, she sat down in another chair and began taking out the three tiers of buns – they were small ones, maybe two dozen.

She gave him an incredulous look. “You only bought food for me? Tobirama-san...how much do you think I eat?” He frowned. “Did I get it wrong? My apologies, I meant no offense.” She shrugged. “I’m not offended, just surprised.” Pushing one of the three tiers towards him, she picked up one of the buns and took a bite. It tasted heavenly.

Humming around her tasty treat she watched Tobirama pick one up and examine it, as if for poison. “Should I be worried these are poisoned?” He glared. “Of course not.” “You’re looking at them like they might be. Don’t like pork?” He shrugged. “No, I like it fine.” Not explaining himself further, he shoved the entire bun into his mouth and chewed.

Miho was a little surprised by how undignified the normally so composed man ate – but then again, she didn’t know him very well. “You’re the one who brought me home last night, right?” He frowned. “You don’t remember?” “I remember most of it. It’s...a little hazy. I was very tired.” He nodded in understanding. “Yes, it was me. I’m relieved to see you are...better.” She laughed and bit into another bun.

“A good bath is the best medicine after a mission like that one.” “I...wouldn’t exactly know.” Chuckling at the image of stiff Tobirama in a kimono trying to seduce a daimyo, she shook her head. “Be glad you don’t. The missions I specialise in...aren’t for everyone.” He inclined his head in agreement. “I heard one of the Hyuga elders is training you because you took on a mission intended for his grand-daughter.

She sighed. “Half-right. He’s training me and it was part of the reason he agreed to do it but I had no idea who the mission was for when I accepted it.” He nodded. “I see. Why do you train in taijutsu? I understand genjutsu is your forte.” Chuckling softly, she nodded. “It is. But...well in my missions I often come into...close contact with targets. Taijutsu is often the only viable option. Think about it – a fireball in close quarters...”

Tobirama grimaced. “I see. The Uchiha techniques...” “Rely on strength. I rely on speed and fluidity.” A thought occurred to her – one she really ought to have had sooner. “Would you like to spar with me, Tobirama-san? It would be fun to try my hand against someone who isn’t an Uchiha.” He almost scoffed. “Absolutely not. You are injured. You’re also a woman. A very...small one.”

She gave him an incredulous look. “I’m a shinobi, Tobirama-san. So is your cousin I believe. I’ve seen you spar with her.” He looked decidedly uncomfortable as he picked up another bun. “That’s different. Touka is...strong.” Miho felt her temper flare and activated her sharingan, letting the red tomoe in her eyes spin lazily.

“And I am not? Tobirama-san I’m used to men underestimating me because of my appearance – I’ve used that to my advantage for almost two decades. I didn’t expect you to make the same mistake though. I’m an Uchiha – one of my clan’s most skilled genjutsu users. I can assure you, I would be just as deadly if I was six inches taller or six inches shorter.”

Tobirama’s face was slack with surprise as he met her eyes. He hadn’t realised she’d activated her sharingan or he wouldn’t have done so, she knew. Red stared into red as the two former enemies sized each other up. With a sigh, she deactivated the sharingan and let her eyes return to their natural black.

“Get out of my house.” He had complied and slammed the door behind himself before she had fully uttered the words. Left alone at her dining table, Miho groaned. She shouldn’t have used the sharingan like that – she was too chakra depleted. She’d given herself a headache.

Staring at her table, she groaned again at the thought of having to tidy up. Instead, she ate another bun. Really, Tobirama had brought enough food for three people. He’d been perfectly polite too, up until that inane comment. He wouldn’t spar with her because she was small? It was true, most shinobi and even most kunoichi had a few inches on her, but her smaller size afforded her several advantages in battle.

Surely a genius like Tobirama Senju knew that? Well, apparently not. Miho looked up from her table and sighed in annoyance. She felt a familiar chakra signature approach, and it was one she didn’t want to have to deal with. Knowing there was no escape, she stayed put as Madara Uchiha banged her door open so hard she feared it might come off its hinges.

Thankfully, it did not. “Good morning, Madara-sama.” She ate another bun. They really were delicious. “Miho! Are you alright?” She snorted. “Of course, I’m fine. What brings you here?” She cautiously pushed the tiered box of buns towards him as he approached the table she was sitting at.

He ignored it. “Tobirama Senju just told me that you might need medical attention.” Miho grimaced. “Is that so?” “Yes. He was coming from the direction of your house, Miho. What did the bastard do to you?” She sighed, sliding out of her chair and stepping up to the head of her clan. “Absolutely nothing, Madara. I reported in yesterday and he saw that I was unwell. He offered me a medic then and I refused. This morning he brought me food.”

Madara growled as his hands settled on her hips in a familiar manner. He spun her around as if to examine her for injuries. All her bruises and cuts were covered by her robe, so obviously he found nothing. “Why did he bring you food?” “I wasn’t well enough to get my own. Really, Madara, I’m fine. He was rude, I threw him out and that was it.”

Madara practically loomed over her. “Rude? What did he say?” She snorted. “Just that he wouldn’t spar with me because I’m a woman and because I’m small.” Madara practically reared back. “What? That Senju? Did he hit his head?” She laughed, pleased by the man’s obvious disbelief at the other’s actions. Though they hardly did so now, when they had both been younger, Madara and her had sparred quite often.

“I have half a mind to beat some sense into that man.” He growled now, clearly keen for an opportunity to do so. She ran a soothing hand up his armored chest. “Please don’t. If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather it not be known that Tobirama thinks I’m weak...and even more so that I need you to fight my battles.” Madara narrowed his eyes at her. “I...understand.” Relieved, she let herself sink into the half-embrace he held her in.

She had always been a tactile person, especially with her lovers – former or otherwise. Madara had understood that, and while it wasn’t his nature to reciprocate, he was more than willing to tolerate her touches. “Shall I take you to bed?” She smiled weakly. “If you can keep your hands to yourself.” Madara flicked her arm with his fingers before picking her up with surprising gentleness.

It would surprise people how kind and protective the huge Uchiha was with his family – but only non-Uchihas. Many thought the Uchiha clan was loyal because they feared Madara...and while they certainly did, that wasn’t the reason. He was loyal to a fault, willing to put his family and his clan above everything else.

Technically speaking, she and Madara were related as well – cousins, once or twice removed. It was her power, not their close relation that had made them close. Madara preferred associating with people close to him in strength – she wasn’t, but other than Hashirama, nobody was. So, he took the next best thing – powerful shinobi. Miho scowled. Whether Tobirama believed it or not, she was one of the most skilled Uchiha her clan had. 

Rolling over in bed long after Madara had left, she considered the man’s visit. At first she’d been glad for the opportunity to get closer to him, something she’d been trying for for days...but his comment had soured that rather quickly. She rather thought she might try seducing someone else after all. Not only was Tobirama far less...receptive than she had expected, even a Hyuga wouldn’t be as much hassle as he was.

She fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	5. Chapter 5

The problem with going to sleep in the middle of the day is that one tends to be awake later in the night. As much as she’d needed the rest, Miho was still annoyed when come nightfall, she found herself entirely incapable of falling asleep. So, she got dressed instead. Going for a walk was hardly something she tended to do at night, but she didn’t have many options either.

Her feet easily carried her through the gate of Konoha – she preferred walking in the forests to the city. The quiet sounds of nature were calming to her, especially the hooting of the owls. She liked the animals very much – unassuming, even cute-looking vicious predators.

Miho had walked perhaps a mile through the forests when she came across the bandits – she spotted their camp from some distance away and snuck closer in order to spy on them. It was a band of seven, she concluded. They were sitting around...a map of Konoha.

She was too far up to be able to properly catch their hushed whispers but she’d seen enough – less than a half hour from the village at night, studying a map under hushed whispers? Her intuition knew a threat when she saw one, and this qualified.

Sighing in frustrated annoyance, she loosened the belt of the light yukata she’d worn and half slid the fabric down her shoulders to expose more of her chest. All seven bandits were male, after all. Retracing her last few steps, she approached them again, on the ground this time,

Humming to herself quietly, she pretended to be a civilian out for a stroll. It only took moments for one of the men to notice and jump out at her. Shrieking in fake surprise, she cowered and tried to run away – slow enough that he easily caught her and forced her arm to her back.

Sobbing quietly, she pretended to struggle against his hold as he dragged her over to his friends and thrust her unto the ground. She landed hard, strands of her hair obscuring her face. She double-checked her numbers – indeed, seven bandits. Looking up, eyes wide in fear, she studied the men. “W-What are you doing here?” She stuttered. “Y-You can’t do this! The village-they’ll find you! Let me go!” She half-cried, to the apparent amusement of what she assumed to be the leader.

“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing out here at night?” She gave him a mock-glare. “I was out for a walk. I-I...I had a fight with my father.” The man cooed at her, roughly pulling her to her legs. “Poor thing, ey? Unfortunately for you, we can’t just let you go now that you’ve found us.” She tried to pull away, struggling his grasp.

“What are you going to do to me?” His grin widened as his eyes travelled down her cleavage. By the time they returned to her eyes, her sharingan was flaring and she ripped her way into his mind via her genjutsu. He released her with a scream, stumbling back.

No longer concealing her speed, she turned to each of the bandits and repeated the genjutsu on them too. Only one of them managed to start running by the time she was finished with his companions – she caught him easily, putting him under the same spell as the others and dragging the man back by his collar. All seven of them had collapsed to the floor, whimpering in pain.

Smiling at her work in satisfaction, she was a little surprised when another presence dropped from the trees above – she didn’t bother turning – the presence wasn’t hostile. “Good work.” Raising an eyebrow at the voice of Tobirama Senju, she glanced back after all. The man was surveying the bandits.

Unable to keep her sour mood from reappearing at the man’s sudden appearance, she scowled. “Yes, not bad for a small, injured woman, hm?” Tobirama at least had the grace to look mildly embarrassed. “What did you do to them?” He pointed at the men. “Nothing lasting. They’re seeing illusions of their home-town burning, with the people they care about there. It’ll wear off in an hour or two. I can break it now if you’d like?”

Tobirama went and picked one of them up by the neck. “Just this one if you please.” Holding her hand up in a seal, she nodded. A few moments later, the man’s moans and cries died down and his eyes focused on reality again. He struggled against Tobirama’s hold – to no avail, of course.

Idly leaning against a tree, she watched as he interrogated the man. The group of bandits belonged to a nearby alliance, apparently, and had been sent to kidnap a child or two, with a unique bloodline trait. In other words, a Hyuga or an Uchiha.

Miho snarled at the bandits, reinforcing the chakra that fed their genjutsu. Their screams increased, many of them now writhing on the ground. She’d changed their illusion somewhat – they themselves were now burning in it. To them, the illusion would be so real, they could feel the pain, could feel the flames – nobody threatened children on her watch.

The way Tobirama snapped the man’s neck when he was done with his questions suggested he felt the same. “They’re in agony now.” It wasn’t a question, but she nodded anyway. “Nobody threatens the children of my village or my clan with me around.”

He gave her a surprised look. “I hadn’t expected you to care about children, Miho-san.” She frowned. “Then you are a fool. Of course, I care about them – their safety is part of why I do what I do. Consider for a moment, Tobirama-san… women trained in honeypot missions start young. Very young. As long as I’m around, none of the girls of the village have to go through that.”

Tobirama inclined his head. “I hadn’t considered that. My apologies. Do you have...your own?” She shook her head. “I’m infertile.” He looked decidedly uncomfortable at her admission but she just waved him off. “I have been all my life. Don’t worry about it. Either way though, I care about the children of my clan and those of the village. These idiots here are hardly going to get away with trying to kidnap any of them.”

She met Tobirama’s red eyes with her own – sharingan still active – and a sort of understanding passed between them. Returning her attention to the men on the floor, she kicked one of them in the shoulder. “What are you going to do with them? Kill them?” He shook his head.

“They’ll be returned to their masters as a warning. I’ve already sent a clone for reinforcements. Unless you’d like to try and carry them yourself?” She chuckled. “I’ll pass. I’ve already done all the heavy lifting after all.”

Something like a smile played along his lips – to her surprise, it made him more attractive than he already was. “Indeed. Why were you out here?” “I couldn’t sleep. I like going for walks outside the village. It’s more...peaceful.”

He nodded. “What about you?” She looked him up and down – he was dressed in full battle gear. “I felt their presence loitering around and decided to check it out after dark.” For a moment she was confused, then she remembered. “You’re a sensor.” He didn’t reply, his attention drawn by something else – a team of four shinobi approaching from the village.

They dropped from the trees a few moments later – one Hyuga, one Inuzuka and two she didn’t recognise. Nodding at them in greeting, she wasn’t surprised when a sneer crossed the Hyuga’s face instantly. “Six of them are alive and need to be returned to the border of the land of fire. The last one...dispose of him.” Tobirama instructed.

The Inuzuka nudged one of the spasming men with his foot. “So what’s wrong with them then?” His nin-dog was cautiously sniffing another. “Genjutsu. They think they’re burning to death. Beware of the flailing when you carry them.” The man nodded, a grimace on his face.

“Bit harsh, isn’t it?” One of the other shinobi asked. She met his eyes and slowly shook her head. “They were coming for our children. They’re lucky I didn’t burn them for real.” The man shuddered and took half a step back. Sighing, she deactivated her sharingan and smiled at the man in apology – she’d hardly meant to frighten him.

The four of them picked up the seven bandits between them, tying one of them to the back of the dog, while the Inuzuka carried two – the man was rather huge. The two bandits on him looked tiny in comparison. After incinerating the dead one, the four departed, leaving her with Tobirama.

“Shall we return to the village?” She asked the man. He nodded, and they were on their way. “Do you have a history with the Hyuga?” She smirked at his question. “Never spoken to him before. Their entire clan rather thinks ill of me for openly doing what I do.” He nodded. “I see. I’m not surprised, honestly. Their demands for joining the village were...steep.”

“Is that so?” “Mh, among other things they demanded twice the space the other clans received.” She thought about the compound – while it was certainly large, it was far from gigantic. “So, who changed their mind?” Tobirama chuckled – a dark, deep sound that sent a pleasant shiver down her back. “Uchiha Madara. He had a talk with the leader of the clan.” She snickered – Miho had a good idea of just how this ‘conversation’ would have gone.

“Madara can be very convincing when he wants to be.” Tobirama scoffed. “He can also be a nuisance. In fact, he’s better at that.” “Well, I won’t deny that either. Still, though, he’s a wonderful man.” Tobirama cast a sideways glance at her. “You actually admire him.” “Of course I do – we all do. Don’t you admire Hashirama?” He sighed.

“My brother is a fool.” She smiled softly. “He’s also the most powerful shinobi to have ever lived. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.” Tobirama pinched his nose between his fingers. “I wish it wasn’t the case. But, to answer your question...of course I respect my brother. Hashirama doesn’t have Madara’s temper though.”

She nodded. “Few people do. Outside of the Uchiha, that is. We all have a temper.” Tobirama smirked. “If what I saw earlier was your temper, you might have to renounce your clan name.” Scowling at him, she shook her head as they approached the main gate.

“What you saw was me painstakingly controlling my temper because for one I don’t like making a mess of my house, and two, I actually appreciated your help and the food. Had it not been for both of those things, I would have happily thrown you out.”

“You think you could?” She smiled wryly. “Tobirama-san...you have no idea what I’m capable of. We are allies now, so you will likely never find out. If common sense isn’t enough to tell you I am hardly some weak girl, then perhaps knowing that Madara avoids me when I lose my temper will?”

Tobirama stopped, quite suddenly, making her turn back towards him. “Miho-san...I never said nor meant to imply that you are weak. I am well aware of both your abilities and your standing among your clan.” She frowned at the man. “Is that so? Then what exactly did you mean when you called me small?” With a sigh, he looked down at his palm, closing it into a fist and opening it again.

“When I carried you home yesterday, I noticed that you were barely heavier than a child. I could have carried you with one hand. You reminded me of a young girl.” Miho did her best to keep a straight face at his words, crossing her arms over her chest. “You know...I’m not sure whether being called a child is better or worse than being called weak.” 

Tobirama stiffened and she stepped closer to him, back away from the gate. The man looked most decidedly uncomfortable but didn’t back away. When he stood his ground even then, she decided to take it one step further and lightly placed her hands on his shoulders. Although he stiffened to the point where he might as well have been made of stone, he stayed put. “Do I look like a child to you, Tobirama-san?” 

Miho was delighted when a small flush spread on his pale cheeks. He really was incredibly attractive...and apparently not as opposed to her attention as she’d assumed. It was a relief – she’d never wanted him more than she did then and there. “You...don’t, Miho-san, but then you know that, don’t you?” She chuckled. “Well, I should hope so. How about you join me for dinner tomorrow night?”

He frowned, deeply for a moment and she really expected him to refuse, but then he nodded tensely. “If...that’s what you’d like. It’s the least I can do to apologise for my...comments.” Smiling broadly, she pulled back. If he thought the dinner was an apology, she was perfectly happy for him to think so.

“Then, come and pick me up at eight tomorrow night?” He nodded and she pulled back. Happily smiling, she continued walking, well aware that Tobirama was watching her as she walked away. If she swayed her hips a little more than strictly necessary, nobody needed to know.


	6. Chapter 6

The next night, she dressed in her nicest kimono, brushed her hair to perfection and even applied a little make-up – enough to enhance her looks without making it obvious she was wearing any. Studying herself in the mirror, she was impressed with herself.

She’d done a good job, she had to admit. She was even half an hour early, just in case.

Two hours later, she was seething with rage. Tobirama hadn’t shown up – she wasn’t exactly used to being stood up. Deciding that this time she’d damn well let her temper lose, she left her house and walked to the Hokage-tower. She knew that’s where she’d find him – the man worked late practically every day.

Anger crackling around her almost like thunder, she entered the building, heading for the office he shared with his brother. Tobirama was the only one left of course – she could see the light coming from the office.

Quite calmly, she thought, she opened the door to the office – the bastard didn’t even have the decency to look up from his work. Anger rising past her control, she slammed her fist, charged with chakra, down on the top of his wooden desk.

It splintered under her hand, as she’d known it would, breaking apart in the middle. Her lightning singed the papers on the desk – dozens and dozens of pages, smoking, crumpled by the white lightning emanating from her fist still. Tobirama looked up from the remnants of his desk, eyes wide and mouth opened.

The sight didn’t give her the satisfaction she’d hoped for. Neither did the frown that soon replaced his surprised expression. “What is the meaning of this, Miho-san?” She growled hand clenched in a fist still. When the man stood, shaking off a few pieces of wood as he did so, still infuriatingly calm and so ignorant, she surged forwards, fist slamming into the wall next to his head, her lightning discharging into the wall next to him, not hurting him, as much as she wanted to.

“You don’t even remember, Senju?” She growled at him and watched, this time pleased, how his expression shifted again – this time to horrified realisation. Hands raised in a placating gesture, he tried to calm her down. “My apologies Miho-san. I got side-tracked by work, I’m afraid.”

She stepped back from him, noticing that her fist had left a decided dent in the wall next to his head, with burn marks from the lightning spreading from it. Tobirama cleared his throat. “You got side-tracked? You were over two hours late when I came here.” His face twisted into a grimace, he looked at his clock – clearly, the man hadn’t even been aware of how late he’d been.

“I...my apologies, Miho-san. I really...I don’t have an excuse.” She scoffed. “You don’t say. Well enjoy picking through the rest of your work, I’m going to have dinner on my own now since I’m starving.”

With that, she turned and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind herself for good measure. She’d almost been disappointed when the man hadn’t reacted with anger at the intrusion or the destruction of his desk. She’d been itching for a fight...in fact, she still was.

Forget Tobirama, she decided – there was someone else she’d go and see. Stopping in the middle of the road, she changed directions and headed for the Uchiha compound. Madara was going to need to remodel his house by the time she’d be done with him.


	7. Chapter 7

Body aching pleasantly, Miho awoke in a strange bed – it wasn’t the one she’d fallen asleep in, but that wasn’t surprising. Yawning, she reached out and wrapped her arm around the warm body next to hers. Also not the one she fell asleep next to, also not surprising. She buried her face into Izuna’s chest and purred as he wrapped an arm around her.

“Good morning, Miho-san.” “Izuna-san.” She mumbled. “Why did my brother dump you into my bed this morning?” She chuckled. “Are you going to ask that every time?” The chest underneath her cheek heaved with a sigh. “Probably. I just don’t get my brother.” She shrugged. “He doesn’t want me to wake up alone. It’s sweet.”

It was sweet...and odd. She and Izuna weren’t lovers – never had been, but they’d found themselves in this position many times over the years. “Got plans today?” She asked the man. “Not really. I was thinking of sleeping in but then my brother waltzed in. I don’t know how you can sleep through that.”

She laughed. “I could explain it to you, in detail. If you’d like. I’d hate to tarnish your innocence though.” Without lifting her head, she knew that Izuna was scowling – the younger man wasn’t naive, he was simply not interested in women that way – or men for that matter. He never had been, as far as she knew.

Stretching, she rolled away from him. Behind her, Izuna cursed softly. “Do you need a medic?” “No, I’m fine.” “You sure? You’re covered in bruises.” She smiled wryly. “Those aren’t from Madara. My last mission didn’t go so well is all.” Izuna sighed, sheets rustling as he sat up. “Fine...you need to be more careful. Want me to accompany you home?” She shook her head. “No thank you, Izuna-san. You should get your rest.”

She stood, yawning. “Did he also bring my kimono along?” “Not that I saw. Take one of mine.” Frowning, she nodded. The kimono was her favourite – she wanted it back. Naked, she stepped through Izuna’s rooms and started looking through his wardrobe. Most of his yukatas were far too big for her – finding one light enough that she could fold it into something resembling an actual outfit took some time.

Still, he was the better choice between him and his brother – Madara was twice as wide, his clothes even bigger on her. Yukata in place, she ran her fingers through her hair to untangle it. She turned to Izuna and mockingly presented herself. “How do I look?” He grinned from his spot in the bed. “Far too pretty for someone wearing the yukata of their lover’s little brother after waking up next to said brother.”

She mock-sighed. “Good enough to walk through Konoha in?” He nodded. “Thanks, Izuna-san. I’ll see you around.” Bowing lightly, she exited his room and the brother’s house. It was still early as she made her way back home, the streets mostly deserted. It was a nice morning too, she thought as she entered her own home again and headed straight for her bath.

She loved the ache that ran through her body after an exhausting night...but the relaxation of the bath felt even better. She settled for a rose scent this time, filling the tub quickly. Miho made it a point not to think about the events preceding her arrival at the Uchiha compound. Madara had taken one look at her after she’d jumped through his window and had thrown the two council elders out of his home, told his brother to take a walk as well.

He’d brought sake, lots of sake, and dango – it wasn’t dinner but it filled her stomach enough to focus on other matters next. They’d destroyed the man’s kotatsu, bed and the wooden bathtub the brothers shared. Izuna was going to be mad once he discovered it, but she didn’t doubt that Hashirama would be willing to make him a new one so he didn’t have to pay for one. The elder Senju was nice that way.

The younger one...she took a deep breath, forcing the thought out of her mind. She was done with Tobirama. He wasn’t attractive enough to put up with nonsense like that for – not when she had equally attractive and attentive men around her.

Playing with the bubbles in her tub, she revisited the thought of a Hyuga – not the one she’d met in the forest, she thought, a younger one. That one had been in his fourties at least. She knew there were several men her own age in the clan. One of them...loud thumping on her door tore her from her thoughts.

Cursing, she stood from the tub and wrapped herself in a towel. She didn’t even bother with a robe as she stalked to the door. Yanking it open, she almost dropped the towel. Suddenly wishing she had put on more than a towel, she came face to face with Tobirama Senju...on his knees.

His forehead pressed to the floor in front of her door. A giant bouquet of flowers next to him. People were staring. “What...what are you doing? Get in here!” She hissed, yanking him and his flowers inside quickly and slamming the door behind him. A red spot on the man’s pale forehead proved he’d bent down a little too quickly or too hard. 

He thrust his flowers at her instead of answering, almost hitting her in the face with them. She accepted them, mostly to get them out of her face. They were pretty, she had to admit, a bright collection and mix of just about every flower she could think of. Somehow the chaotic mix looked pretty rather than...chaotic. 

“Tobirama-san. What are you doing here?” The man cleared his throat, frowning. “I had thought that was obvious. I came to apologise to you. It was entirely my fault what happened yesterday, and I was hoping I could...earn your forgiveness.” His frown had melted into something she recognised as shyness, somehow – she certainly hadn’t seen it before.

Suppressing a groan, she stepped past him and pulled a vase from her shelf and filled it with water, putting the flowers in it and setting it on the counter. “Thank you for the flowers, Tobirama-san. I was in the middle of taking a bath though.” He eyed her as if he hadn’t noticed that she was only wrapped in a towel – going by his expression he hadn’t, because he turned around immediately, facing away from her.

“I apologise again, Miho-san. I...didn’t realise.” She sighed and started walking back to her bath. Tobirama followed, a few steps behind. Filled with a certain vindictive glee, she waited for him to tentatively cross into the bathroom with her and untucked her towel – her back was still covered properly as she stepped back into her tub and let herself sink into the bubbles, tossing the towel aside at the last moment.

She could practically feel the discomfort radiating from her guest and it cheered her up immensely. “Well, Tobirama-san, you wanted to ‘earn’ my forgiveness, apparently?” He cleared his throat again, stepping into her field of view. She knew she was fully obscured by the bubbles in her tub and when he realised the same, he relaxed significantly.

“Ah yes. I was wondering if you’d be willing to join me for dinner after all – I really want to make it up to you.” She sighed. “It’s morning. Why would you ask me for dinner before it’s even time for breakfast?” He shifted a little. “Ah, well I thought if you said yes, I’d need time to prepare and cook, after all. And if you said no, it’d be early enough to get myself a mission that would take me away from Konoha for the next few weeks.”

She couldn’t help a soft laugh at the second possibility – maybe the man had more sense than she’d thought? A little surprised, she found herself considering the possibility. The very proud Tobirama Senju himself had bowed to the floor to ask for her forgiveness. He’d brought flowers and he apparently wanted to cook for her...and not a single one of those things sounded like him.

They did, however, sound remarkably like someone else she knew. “So when did you ask Hashirama for help?” He cleared his throat again. “What do you mean?” “I mean that someone who gets so ‘caught up’ in work they stand someone up for a date probably doesn’t think to bring flowers to an apology either. That has your brother’s name all over it.”

Tobirama sighed and crossed his arms. “After you left I went and asked my brother about...how to apologise to a woman. Most of his suggestions were nonsense, but the flowers...I thought most women liked flowers. I didn’t know what kind so I simply got as many kinds as the shop had.” Biting her lip at how oddly adorable that was, she internally cursed when she’d realised that she’d all but accepted his apology already.

“And the bowing? I’d have expected you to be too proud for that.” He shook his head. “It was my mistake after all, and I am very sorry.” She smiled softly. “Okay.” “Okay?” “Yeah, okay. I believe you, and I’ll have dinner with you. Though, if you are even a single minute late this time, even your brother’s power won’t be able to protect you from me.”

He smirked. “I wasn’t aware you used lightning. I assumed you were a fire-type.” She sighed. “I’ve mastered the fire-jutsu of my clan but my chakra nature is lightning. When I’m angry enough, it manifests like that.” “You should have seen Hashirama’s face when he saw the office this morning.”

“Oh?” “He opened the door, closed it again, opened it one more time and then asked if what had happened in there was related to me asking about how to apologise to a woman.” She laughed at the scene, vividly imagining it. “What did you say?” “I told him that I’d learned my lesson, nothing else.” 

Shaking her head lightly, she shifted in the tub so she was laying on her side, facing Tobirama fully. Shivering at the cooling of the water, she watched the man, so far out of his element. A wicked idea occurred to her. “Tobirama-san...” “Yes?” “Mind doing me a favour?” “What favour?” “Your ability with Suiton is unmatched...mind heating up my bathwater for me? I’m afraid it’s cooled down quite a bit when I had to get up and out to open the door.”

It was a challenge – one she expected him to refuse, plain and simple. Instead, a hesitant expression spread across his features and he stepped closer to the tub, forming hand seals as he did so. Miho had activated her sharingan without realising, studying his jutsu and finding it to be harmless. Expression rather embarrassed, he stretched one hand out, lightly dipping the tips of his fingers into the water.

Though he was as far from her as he could be in the water, it still felt oddly intimate – a strange thought for her. She had no problem being naked around people, nor all that much in the way of modesty – her job simply didn’t allow for it. Still, as warmth radiated from the man’s fingers in her water, she felt almost shy.

Soon the water was just on this side of hot and he withdrew his hand. “Is that satisfactory?” She chuckled. “It’s wonderful, thank you. So, what time for dinner tonight?” He shrugged. “Seven? I’ll be here to pick you up...if not, you are welcome to take your anger out on my person rather than my desk next time.”

She snickered. “You’d prefer that, wouldn’t you?” He sighed. “Truth be told, yes. I’m going to spend the rest of the week rewriting the papers you destroyed.” She didn’t quite have it within her to feel bad for the workaholic, though she tried just a little.

“I’ll be on my way then.” To her amusement, Tobirama actually bowed a little as he left her bathroom. A few moments later, she heard the clicking of her front door, indicating he had left.

Miho smiled – maybe, just maybe, she’d make...progress with Tobirama after all. The man had been rather adorable in his apology...she shook her head. Tobirama Senju, adorable? Clearly, Madara had banged her head against a wall the night before. 

She knew he hadn’t, but she wasn’t about to admit that any more than that she thought Tobirama was cute. Stretching out in her bath, she thought of what to wear – she had some seducing to do.


	8. Chapter 8

Evening rolled around quickly, she found. Dressed in a short kimono that rather showed off her legs to their best advantage, she once again expertly applied her make-up and pinned her hair up in such a way for it to frame her face nicely.

She was satisfied with her work as she sat down at her table, waiting for Tobirama to arrive. She sensed his presence in front of her house almost an hour early. She knew he knew – the man was a sensor after all – but she happily ignored him, going about her business as if he wasn’t there.

Then, ten minutes to seven, he politely knocked on her door. Smiling, a flutter of excitement in her stomach, she opened the door, acting as if she hadn’t been waiting. “Miho-san.” He greeted her. She was a little disappointed but not at all surprised when she found him to be dressed as normal.

“Tobirama-san. Nice to see you actually showed up this time.” He sighed. “Shall we?” She nodded, pulling the door closed behind her. “Do you live with your brother?” She knew where Hashirama’s house was, having picked up a drunk Madara from there once before. “No. I have my own dwelling. I would not wish living with my brother on anyone.” She chuckled softly. 

“Well, I suppose I can see why. It’s a shame too...your brother was a cute child.” Tobirama gave her an odd look. “I was unaware you and my brother knew each other before. I thought it was only Madara he was friends with.” She shook her head. “We were never close, and never really friends, but I met him not all too long after Madara did.”

Tobirama nodded. “I wonder why he never mentioned you.” She chuckled softly, considering whether or not to tell him the answer. Ultimately she thought there couldn’t be much harm in it – they were brothers after all.

“Well, Hashirama saw me together with Madara and developed a bit of a crush. He insisted on meeting me. I thought he was cute. We met a few times...and then not for several years.” “And when you say met a few times...” She grinned. “Would it shock you to hear he lost his virginity to me?” Tobirama froze, an unpleasant expression on his face.

“So are you trying to get back together with him?” She grimaced. “No way! He’s gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but I agree with you – nobody should have to live with that man. I certainly wouldn’t want to.” Her explanation seemed to satisfy Tobirama who nodded and continued walking, leading her to an area of the village she hadn’t been in much – it was quiet, close to the walls, and overall nice.

Tobirama led her to a small house – smaller than hers, certainly, and opened the door, letting her step in first. She found the inside of the house to be...a mess. There was no other way to put it.

Seemingly every inch of available surface was littered with paper, notes, strange concoctions and materials and weapons in more shapes than she’d ever seen. She had expected his home to be meticulously tidy...the opposite was true. It amused her.

Tobirama led her through a door and into the kitchen...where she came face to face with another Tobirama. Blinking in surprise, she looked between them both. “A clone?” Kitchen-Tobirama nodded and released the jutsu.

A moment later, his lip curled in a snarl. “My brother?” She grinned. “So the memories return when the jutsu is released? Interesting. And yes. We were young. He was cute. It’s hardly a big deal.” He huffed. “No, I suppose to you it wasn’t. He told me a lot about his first time. I had no idea it was you. It puts certain things in a different light, that’s for sure.”

Not sure she liked his tone, she crossed her arms before her chest. “And what things did he tell you?” Tobirama groaned. “Are you really going to make me tell you?” She chuckled. “You brought it up, you know. You prodded first.” “I did, didn’t I?” His tone was resigned as he messed around with some pans.

“Well...you were his first and his only until he was almost 18. He had the most pathetic crush on you, it was sad. Apparently, he didn’t realise his feelings until after and then he never found you again.” Miho felt strangely touched. “Aw, I had no idea! That’s so...sweet! I moved with my parents to an Uchiha-branch home not long after. I suppose that’s why we never met again.”

Tobirama nodded. “Still, it’s...strange. Hashirama seems to like you Uchiha more than is reasonable.” She snorted. “Why? Because we have horrible tempers and a reputation of cruelty on the battlefield? Because our Kekkai Genkai makes us dangerous even as children and elders?” Tobirama gave her a cold look. “That and your apparent penchant for insanity.”

“I’ll give you Madara, but most of us are perfectly sane. You should come to the Uchiha compound sometimes. It’s...peaceful. Just like other parts of town. Maybe more so since there aren’t any non-Uchihas there.” He forcefully put down a cutting board he’d been holding. “Implying it’s the non-Uchihas that cause trouble?”

She chuckled. “No, implying that a mix between clans that used to be at war less than a year ago is bound to create conflict and draw out the worst in people.” Tobirama sighed. “I see. I apologise for the misunderstanding.” “It’s fine. I don’t blame you for misunderstanding, nor for thinking me prejudiced. Truth be told many of us are. As are yours – only time will show if this village will...work.”

“Do you think it will?” She considered the question. “I’d like to think so. The hardest step is taken – the village exists and people came. Everything else is up to the individual people in the village. I think, overall, the villagers are smart enough to see that too.”

He opened the oven and took out a tray. “You have a remarkable amount of faith in people that, for large parts, revile you.” Gaping at his back, she thought about her response carefully. “Firstly, that was a rather rude thing to say, Tobirama-san. Secondly, I’m well aware of my reputation and I don’t bother so much as discouraging it. If anything it shows me which people I would prefer to avoid.”

Tobirama sighed as he pulled two plates from a shelf and rinsed them. “I see. That’s an interesting point of view. Those who buy into the rumours and gossip are ones you wouldn’t want to associate with?” “Yes. Among my own, there are incredibly few that judge me for what I do. Most are grateful that I volunteer for these missions. It protects their loved ones.”

Whatever Tobirama was serving, next he began pouring sauce from a small pot over it. “And the effect it has on you?” She sighed. “I don’t know what makes me so different but what I do doesn’t affect me much. Never has. I’m grateful for it. I don’t...enjoy the missions I’m sent on, or I very rarely do, but they’re necessary and all in all my life is a good one.”

“The food is almost ready. Why don’t you go and take a seat in the dining room?” He pointed at the other door of the kitchen and she obediently walked through it. The so-called dining room wasn’t much of one – a small table for four stood in the middle, curiously free of papers and with place settings for two. A lone candle sat in the middle, unlit. Smiling softly, she used a small fire jutsu to light it up.

Tobirama appeared behind her moments later. “What was that jutsu?” She turned and laughed. “I lit the candle.” Frowning, he pointed at a box of matches on one of the chairs. “I prepared matches.” “Hey, if I can’t abuse my ninjutsu to set the mood every now and again, what’s the point of it?” 

The man said nothing, simply retreating to the kitchen instead. When he returned, he carried two cups and a bottle of sake. Setting his burden down, he left and returned with two steaming plates not long after.

Going by the smell alone, their meal would be heavenly. The fried mackerel, radish puree and chili sauce certainly smelled amazing as he set both plates down and took his seat opposite of her. “This smells amazing. I had no idea you could cook.” He nodded. “I have been cooking for myself and my brother since we were children.” She nodded, eager to try the fragrant food.

They ate in silence, broken only by Miho’s occasional moan or groan at the flavour – Hashirama, she thought, may be the god of shinobi but his brother surely deserved the title of god of chefs. Happy and sated, she sat back after finishing her food.

“Would you like dessert?” She perked up. “You made dessert too?” “I made several things since I don’t know what you like.” She grinned. “What is there, then?” Tobirama leaned back in his seat. “Baked honeyed chestnuts, strawberry hishi mochi and mizu manju.” She blinked at him in surprise. “You...made all of that?” He nodded.

“You really must be feeling sorry for yesterday then. Hm...I think I’d like the mizu manju, please.” Tobirama nodded, took both of their plates and disappeared into the kitchen. He returned not much later with a single plate filled with manju. She’d expected them to look perfect, so she was a little surprised when they were uneven in shape and a little..wonky.

Grinning, she picked one up and bit it in half. The sweet-but-not-cloying taste was divine. Eating the rest of the little bun, she smiled warmly at her host. “They’re lovely. Thank you so much for all your effort.” He shook his head. “It’s fine, really. To think that I simply forgot the time...” He sighed.

Miho ate another manju. “You aren’t having any?” “I don’t take dessert.” Her eyes widened a little – he had made that much and wasn’t even going to eat it? Apparently sensing her question, he shrugged. “I was going to feed the leftovers to Madara and Hashirama tomorrow. Madara has a sweet tooth and Hashirama will eat anything.”

She chuckled. “Given that you know that, I’m surprised you haven’t tried to poison Madara yet.” When her companion said nothing, she burst into giggles. “So you have tried? What happened?” Giving her a calculating look, Tobirama slowly shrugged. “He said he had a bit of a stomach ache. Blamed it on drinking the night before.”

Now howling with laughter, she leaned back in her chair. “You don’t seem terribly upset about me trying to poison the leader of your clan.” She shook her head, laughter dying down. “I’m sure he had it coming somehow. Don’t get me wrong, I love Madara, but I’m not blind to his faults.”

Tobirama shifted in his seat. “I was...unaware that you and Madara were in a relationship.” Squinting for a moment, she tried to follow that leap in logic, then gave up. “I’m not.” “So your feelings are unrequited?” She snorted. “Now I get it. When I say I love him, I don’t mean it like that. I love him as a friend, a leader, a relative. That’s all.”

It was the truth – as much as they occasionally slept together, she wasn’t romantically interested in Madara. She wasn’t looking for that kind of relationship, and if she was, she’d want a Hashirama rather than a Madara, that she knew for sure. She shivered at the idea of a lifetime spent with Madara. 

Definitely not. Pouring them both a cup of sake, Miho leaned forwards and smiled. “So tell me...ever poison Hashirama?” Tobirama accepted his cup of sake and sipped it. Mimicking the motion, she waited for his response.

“Twice. The first time when we were nineteen and he kept pestering me about this peace nonsense...and the second time a week after he became Hokage because he settled me with all the paperwork.” She chuckled. “Did he learn his lesson?” Tobirama drained his cup.

“Somewhat.” Pouring him another, Miho smiled – her time with Tobirama was going better than expected. The man was surprisingly easy to talk to, not half as unpleasant as she’d expected him to be. As it was, she wouldn’t mind being with him more than the one or two times she’d been planning on – and what a strange thought that was given the protagonist that featured in it.

Said man gave her a calculating look. “Care to move to the porch? I have a garden.” Nodding eagerly, she took her sake cup – Tobirama brought his and the bottle – and followed her host to the back of the door.

His back porch indeed opened up into a small garden, featuring a koi pond. They sat at the edge of the wooden platform just as she spotted the pond. She laughed. “Is my pond amusing to you?” The man questioned. “Not particularly. It’s just...you like koi?” The man shrugged. “I do.” “Then it may surprise you to hear that Madara does as well. He’s very fond of it. His pond is right next to his bedroom window actually. It’s lovely. He dunks Izuna in it when he annoys him.”

Tobirama laid down on his back, looking up at the last remnants of what had been a pretty sunset. Surprised by his casual behaviour, she leaned back too, resting on her side and facing him. She shifted her hips and shoulders to make sure that her kimono fell open just a little bit – enough to look accidental if he was to look over.

She certainly hoped he would. She hadn’t gone through all of that trouble for nothing after all. “Maybe I should throw Hashirama into it next time he comes by.” She chuckled. “You’re the best suiton user to have ever lived. I think if you want to dunk him into a body of water, you can do that anywhere.”

He chuckled deeply. “True enough, I suppose. I just can’t help but think that this would be more satisfying.” She laughed. “Remind me not to make you angry...near your pond.” He turned his head towards her, his red eyes widening when he finally raked them over her.

He had shown absolutely no reaction to her appearance so far, so the hitch in his breath was more than satisfying. She feigned ignorance, of course, simply smiling at him. After a moment, he seemed to regain his composure. “Only near my pond?” She laughed softly. “Well, I am an Uchiha after all.”

“Without the sharingan, it’s so easy to forget that you are related to that oaf.” Raising an eyebrow, she activated the sharingan, waiting for him to meet her eyes again. His widened slightly when he did – a shinobi’s instinct to avoid a threat. He stayed put, tense as though he was. “Relax, Tobirama-san.”

“Easy to say for the person not laying next to a genjutsu and seduction expert with one of the most deadly doujutsu in existence trained on you.” She chuckled again, a mock-pout on her face. “If I wanted you dead, I’d have killed you yesterday. If I wanted to...seduce you, I’d have done so before even that.” 

That was a lie of course – she was, in fact, trying to do just that, but she wasn’t about to let him in on that particular secret. It wasn’t much of a chase if the target knew where she’d strike next. To her surprise, Tobirama rolled unto his side, facing her and pulled their sake cups over.

Refilling both, he handed her hers. She sipped hers – he downed his in one gulp. “You seem awfully certain you could seduce me if you wanted.” Smirking, she set the cup down. “I am. You may be an excellent shinobi, Tobirama-san, but you’re also a man, and I’ve yet to meet one that resisted me for long if I put my mind to it.”

She was aware the mood had changed, her heart beating faster at the way he was acting now – stoic, stiff Tobirama was laying on his porch with her, flirting and teasing her. She loved it almost as much as she was sure she’d love bedding him later.

“If you put your mind to it? I wonder what that looks like.” Smirking, she shifted forwards. “Are you asking me?” For a moment he seemed hesitant, looking around as if he was looking for an escape...then he relaxed. “No. After all, I wouldn’t know what I’d be asking for.”

She nodded. “Of course. Would you like me to tell you? What I might do...were such a situation to occur?” Tobirama smirked. “I’d like to think I wouldn’t submit quite so...easily.” “You make it sound like a fight.”

She laughed softly. Of course, he would see it that way. “Isn’t it?” “Not at all. It’s more like...a dance. A back and forth with the understanding that the end result will be pleasure, not pain or even death.” He hummed lightly. “Not quite a fight then.” “I should think not. Besides, in a fight, you’d try to overwhelm the enemy, force them down...seduction is different.”

“How so?” Miho stretched out lazily, bending herself towards him a little. “Seduction is making the other person want to approach you, making them wait for you to make your next move.” “I see...I suppose that makes sense. And you’re…good at it, hm?” His voice dropped to a low purr, an almost too-pleasant sound she hadn’t expected to ever hear from the man.

“The best. Or so I’m told.” He nodded lazily, his red eyes drifting half-closed. “Mh, I can imagine.” She shifted a little closer, heartbeat speeding up more and more. “Are you? Imagining it, I mean?”

Tobirama sipped from his cup again before setting it down, above his head and out of the way. She was more than happy to do the same with her own, moving the bottle along with it. She was delighted when the man before her shifted just a little closer, sighing softly. “I may well be. Would that be...a problem?”

“Depends on whether you...like the thought.” Miho felt herself smiling when his hand slid across, covering the gap between their bodies and settled on her neck, lightly pushing away her hair and sliding his fingers over her skin.

The touch was slow, hesitant almost, but with an edge of determination. It felt like a trickle of lightning along her skin, exciting her in a way she hadn’t expected. Her smile widened when he pulled her closer until their bodies were almost brushing against each other.

Miho sighed softly – when had sharing breath with someone the way they did now ever felt so...promising? Tobirama’s lips parted further and his breath hitched lightly. He seemed hesitant to close the distance between them, so she leaned forwards instead, pressing their open mouths together.

In a heartbeat, the hesitation was gone and she found herself rolled onto her back, Tobirama’s hand slamming down next to her head as he covered her body with his. She arched up into him, moaning when he deepened the kiss, his tongue tentatively sneaking to brush against hers, an odd moment of shyness in the heated kiss.

She paid it no mind, kissing him back, her own hands wrapping into his white hair. It was soft under her fingers, softer than the spiky look he wore it in had suggested. He hadn’t worn his head-protector, thankfully, allowing her to trace a hand down his cheek as they kissed.

He groaned against her mouth when she rolled up her hips against him, keen to feel more of him than just his mouth, more than just the burn of the suddenly too-hot body against hers. He ground down against her, breaking the kiss, a feral snarl on his lips...and a moment later, he was gone.

Miho was alone, panting, on the back-porch of Tobirama’s house.


	9. Chapter 9

She wasn’t sure whether just strangling the man would be enough to make him pay for his behaviour. Really, changing his mind, saying no, even rejecting her, she could live with all that. She wouldn’t have been happy, but she’d have understood it.

Him running away though? After he was the one who finally showed interest? After he spent what she assumed to be the better part of his day cooking for her? After that, he ran in the middle of a kiss? No. She wasn’t okay with that, not in the least.

That was why, the next morning, after she’d stomped home angrily, she found herself stepping into Hashirama’s office, glad to see that for once, Tobirama wasn’t at his desk. She hadn’t expected him to be – he was a sensor and could thus easily sense her coming.

No, she was there for the other Senju brother. “Hashirama-sama.” She greeted, a fake smile on her face. His expression when he returned it was genuine. Fool. Slamming her hands onto his desk, she leaned down, bringing their faces close together.

“Where is your brother?” The man leaned back, keen to avoid her temper much as he could easily destroy her in a fight. He laughed awkwardly. “Tobi? He’s out on a mission.” Snarling, she grabbed the man’s collar and yanked him closer again. “How long? Where?”

Holding his hands up in surrender, Hashirama, the god of shinobi practically wilted under her stare. “Until tomorrow. To the border and back. Miho-chan...what’s the meaning of this? Why are you looking for him?”

She growled as she released him and sat on the edge of his desk, jostling several of the stacks of paper he had piled up. “Your brother is an ass.” She eventually ground out. “What did he do? Did he say something inappropriate? Do something to you?” Miho gave him an incredulous look.

“Why would you ask me that of all things?” Hashirama shrugged awkwardly. “I simply thought, just maybe, that something might have...happened between you two. He’s been acting odd lately and there are only so many female lightning users that would do something like that-” He pointed at the indent her fist had left, still not fixed, in the wall, “-and live. So, what happened?”

She sneered at the tan man. “Oh well, we had dinner. He cooked for me. We sat out on the porch, had some sake. We kissed. Then, in the middle of it, HE TELEPORTED AWAY.” Hashirama winced at both her tone and her volume. “I...see. Was it...the first time you kissed?”

For a moment she considered how awkward it had to be for the man to hear that his first crush was kissing his brother, but she pushed the thought away. It didn’t matter, Hashirama would get over it, she knew, if he wasn’t already. He forgave easily after all. “Yes.”

Hashirama sighed. “Well then, Miho-san, I believe it’s time we have a little chat. In private.” She gave him an incredulous look. “We are alone. In your office.” He nodded, awkwardly. “I suppose that’s true...well, you see, the thing is...” He trailed off.

Eyes narrowing, she once again reached for the man’s lapel. He backed away. “Okay, okay! See, the thing is, my little brother...he’s not like you, Miho-chan. You switch lovers often, and publicly. Tobi isn’t like that. He always said...” Hashirama coughed, clearing his throat.

“He said that he would never be with someone unless he loved them.” “Love?” She half-yelled, annoyed more than ever – what in the world had that to do with anything? “Yes, Miho-chan. Love. My brother has never had a lover. He’s never even kissed anyone. Until you. If he did that, he must be having...some feelings for you, at the very least.”

Suddenly weak, she slid off the desk, landing hard on the ground. Her feet weren’t quite steady so she caught herself on the desk. That Tobirama...feelings for her? Based on what? They’d never been together, had barely even interacted directly. Surely just one dinner wasn’t enough to…?” She shivered. Miho didn’t want this – she was looking for a fun conquest, a new lover. Not...love.

As much as she played around with men, she didn’t play with their feelings like that. Never had, never would. She didn’t lie about loving them and if she suspected that they might love her, she cut things off quickly. Having never been in love herself...except maybe once, a long time ago, with an awkward kid with a bowl-cut and too many dreams, she didn’t see the appeal.

No, not at all. And she had obviously not known Tobirama had never been with anyone or she wouldn’t have gone near him – not so much because she minded but because if she had known of his conviction, she would have never so much as considered seducing him.

Distantly aware that a pair of arms had pulled her up and against a body, she returned the embrace. There was a voice speaking but she couldn’t quite make out the words. All she knew was that she had made a mistake, a horrible one – one she would have to fix, somehow.

Forcing her mind back from the strange place it had been in, she became aware of Hashirama’s and her positions – she had somehow ended up in his chair, with him kneeling on the floor, leaning on her knees, practically bawling. She swallowed thickly.

“Hashirama-sama. I...what did you say?” He broke off, a moment of silence passing between them, made awkward by their positions. “I said...I was begging you not to hurt my brother. I had no idea he felt that way about you, or that you were interested in him...are you even interested in him? Oh, but what if you aren’t? He’ll be heartbroken and he already has such a hard time trusting people.”

Absent-mindedly, she ran a hand through the man’s long hair to soothe him – it was something she hadn’t done in many, many years, and not at all since he’d grown out his hair, but it was comforting for them both, it seemed. “Hashirama-sama, I had absolutely no idea about...any of this. I...wanted to seduce him. As a challenge, just to see if I could. I mean, I like him, sure, but...” 

Hashirama leaned forwards, pressing almost painfully against her legs. “Miho-chan...I beg of you, please, won’t you...give my brother a chance? He’s a wonderful person underneath all his nonsense.” Smiling wryly, she shrugged.

“I don’t play with people’s emotions. I don’t know if I can...fake that.” He shook his head, empathetically. “No! I don’t want you to do that! I just...I meant I would please like you to...try a relationship with him. If you find you don’t like him like that, that’s fine. But don’t just...cast him aside because of this.”

Miho’s heart clenched a little at the man’s words. He made it sound like she was trying to hurt him when it was the opposite. “But...I don’t want a relationship. And I don’t want to...deceive him.” Hashirama gave her a warm smile, a surprisingly understanding one. “How can you be so sure? I’ve kept an eye on you for a long time, Miho-chan. I know you’ve never tried it.”

She returned his smile. “That’s creepy, Hashirama-sama.” He snickered. “Yeah, probably. Can we call it ‘concern for an old friend’ instead?” She chuckled. “Why not. He’ll be back tomorrow?” “Yes.” “I think...I think I have some thinking to do.”

Hashirama nodded, pushing up from his position on the floor. “Whatever your decision, you have my thanks for even considering it. I can’t decide whether I should be glad or upset.” She frowned at him. “What do you mean?” “Well...my baby brother has finally opened his heart to someone. Someone wonderful and caring, no less. At the same time...he may end up hurt. Neither through your fault nor his own, really. But still. And...it might affect him. Possibly for a long time. I don’t want that. Not at all. I’m also a little jealous, to be honest?”

Her head shot up. “Of who?” “My brother. You never knew, but...I fell for you, quite hard. I spent a long time...pining. I got over it, but I still regretted never having a real chance.” She smiled weakly, waving him off. “If it’s any consolation, Hashirama, I’m pretty sure I loved you too. And I sort of only just realised that I did. Probably.” 

To her relief, the man seemed to understand her, even though her words were barely making sense. She sighed. “What do I do until he gets back?” Hashirama gave her a sunny smile. “You could inspect the outer wall with me, have lunch with me and then do my paperwork with me?” 

Chuckling, she stood from the chair. “Yes, yes and no, in that order.” The man sighed, practically collapsing in on himself. “Was worth a try.” She hummed. “I suppose. Unlike your brother, I won’t poison you for trying to set me up with your work either.” The man grimaced. “You’re an Uchiha. If anything, you’ll just set fire to me.”

She smiled sweetly. “Oh, not at all, Hashirama-sama.” She lifted her hand running chakra through it, letting it manifest around her fingers as a few thin wisps of white lightning. “I’d simply run my lightning through the work you’ve already done. Not enough to burn it like fire would, but enough to damage it so you’ll have to redo it.”

The man shivered. “Maybe I shouldn’t encourage a match between you two. You’re both equally...devious.” She chuckled. “Hashirama Senju, god of shinobi, afraid of paperwork...and his brother’s choice in woman.” They both chuckled as they left his office – and his paperwork.


	10. Chapter 10

Tobirama’s return to the village went unnoticed by all but a few – two, really. Hashirama knew the minute his brother crossed the Konoha gate. Miho knew a few moments later when he shook her awake from where she was sleeping on the floor of the Hokage’s office.

She was awake instantly, keeping a tight lid on her anger. Close to Hashirama as she was, the idea was that hopefully, Hashirama’s extreme chakra presence would blind Tobirama to hers, thus not giving him a chance to avoid her. Anxiously, she sat on the edge of Hashirama’s desk, facing the door.

It was late – almost midnight – and Tobirama was supposed to have been back hours ago. She hadn’t really been worried – this was Tobirama Senju after all – but she had been a little...concerned, to say the least. 

The man barely even looked up when he walked in, simply slamming a scroll on his brother’s desk with a groan. Miho cleared her throat, drawing his attention. “You! Why...are you here?” He asked. “Obviously to talk to you.” “Now isn’t a good time.” She sneered. “You know when would have been a good time? On your porch.”

“Now now, you two! You should calm down.” Turning to Hashirama, she frowned. “Thank you for your advice. I’ll take it from here.” She hopped off the desk before the elder Senju could respond, grabbed the fur-lining of Tobirama’s armor and yanked him with her, out of the office. He didn’t stay quiet for long of course.

“What do you want from me, woman? Unhand me!” She chuckled. “So you can run away again? No. You and I are going to have a nice chat.” Uncertain where to go for a moment, she eventually turned in the direction of her own home, still dragging an unwilling Tobirama behind her. He growled but didn’t try to physically free himself. That was something at least.

Practically shoving him through her door when they arrived, she crossed her arms. “Just so you know, I’ve told Hashirama what happened. If you run away again, you’ll be dealing with him. Possibly Madara as well.” He sneered at her. “Threats. Charming.” “At least it’s not as cowardly as running away after humping someone on your porch.”

He flinched at her words and she noticed, for the first time, that he was moving oddly – he was injured. Deflating a little, she sighed. “Come with me.” He followed obediently enough, to the bathroom. “Strip.” “Excuse me?” “Your clothes. Take them off. You’re injured, not to mention filthy.”

He snarled at her, and after a tense moment, slowly moved to open his armor, letting the pieces clink to the floor. Miho busied herself by filling her tub, adding a few medicinal herbs to the water. By the time she was done, a glowering Tobirama was mostly naked – he had kept his trousers. His body was covered in bruises and shallow cuts – the only serious injury she could see was a large bruise on his ribcage.

“Cracked?” “And set. Just needs time to heal.” She nodded, trusting his estimation on the matter. “In the tub.” “I’m not taking off my trousers.” “In. The. Tub.” She repeated and he obeyed, trousers and all. She didn’t miss the deep sigh that escaped him when he sank into the warm water. Digging through her cupboards, she found him a small towel. “Use that to clean yourself.” She said, throwing it to him.

He nodded, slowly beginning to rub the towel over his arms. She would have admired the beauty of his pale white skin were it not for everything Hashirama had told her. Deciding that – as much as it went against her current mood – a more gentle approach may be needed, she pulled a stool from the other side of the room over and sat next to the tub, resting her arms on the side of it.

“Now, will you talk to me, Tobirama-san?” She said in the softest tone she could manage. He froze at her words, eyeing her suspiciously. “You want an explanation.” “I’d like one, yes.” “I was...I made a mistake.” She frowned. “What was the mistake? Kissing me or running?” He sneered. “I took advantage of you when you were drunk.”

She snorted at the unexpected answer. “Firstly, you’d had twice as much as I did. Secondly, you can’t take advantage of the willing.” “Don’t make fun of me, Miho-san. I know you desire me no more than you do that mentor of yours.” Shivering at the unpleasant image, she squinted at him. “What makes you think so?” 

“We have known each other for some time too – you have never once looked at me with any interest. I am not ignorant of this. Yet you expect me to suddenly believe you are interested?” She shrugged. “It’s true, I wasn’t interested for a long time. Never even considered the possibility, truth be told. You’re always so..cold, so proper, I never much considered what you might be like as a lover at all.”

He nodded. “I am aware.” “Still though, I always liked you, Tobirama-san. You were never discourteous to me, nor rude. In fact, you were never anything but polite despite your dislike of my clan. My interest in you was a little surprising to me too but it is nevertheless true.”

Tobirama frowned. “I was under the impression you were the type that would...go after what she wants.” Miho chuckled. “Are you asking why I didn’t jump you and tear off your clothes?” He stiffened, a faint flush on his pale cheeks. It was an adorable look.

“Not quite, but...yes.” Laughing softly, she stretched out a finger and trailed it over the surface of the water in the tub, amused by how mere days ago it had been the other way around. “I tried to flirt with you, to find out if you were interested in me too. For the most part, it seemed to go right over your head.”

“I...you...what?” She chuckled. “I asked you for lunch. Asked you to spar. Made you warm my bathwater. Flirted with you. Agreed to have dinner with you a second time after you stood me up.” She chuckled at his near-panicked expression. “Really, I’d heard you were a genius, Tobirama-san.”

His expression soured. “You’ll forgive me for assuming that your behaviour was simply...how you acted with people. I hardly know you very well.” Miho didn’t miss the opening he’d left her, however unknowingly. “You’re right. You don’t. But you kissed me anyway. And then you ran.”

He hissed lightly, running the towel over his shoulder – a bruise was only just forming on the skin there. “I may have been ignorant of your interest in me, but I am by no means ignorant of what happens with your lovers.”

“Oh?” She was genuinely curious – there were so many rumours flying around, she couldn’t help but wonder which one he’d picked up on. “You keep several at once. That I could live with. Then...if they develop feelings for you, you throw them aside.” He fell silent, towel running over his lower back.

She sighed deeply. “You’re not...wrong. Not entirely. But there is a reason for that – I live the way I do because I like it. It’s simple, fun. Feelings...complicate things. Despite what you may have heard, the reason I end things is because not doing so will only end up hurting them. It’s happened before – either they suddenly start expecting me to want a relationship with them or they try to hide or ignore their feelings thus hurting themselves.”

He gave her a calculating look. “That isn’t quite what I’d heard.” She shrugged, fingers trailing over the water again. “It’s the truth. The last thing I want is to hurt anyone.” He nodded. “I believe you. As we’ve established, I don’t know you very well, but...I think I know you well enough to make that judgement at least.”

She smiled at him. It seemed that his brother hadn’t been quite right about Tobirama either – a relief if anything. “I’m glad. Believe it or not, I like you quite a bit, Tobirama-san.” His face twisted in a strange expression, one she’d never seen before – a mix of...embarrassment and hope, maybe? Or possibly just a grimace. She wasn’t sure.

“Given what we’ve just discussed...do I...owe you an apology for teleporting away or for kissing you?” Miho was quite surprised by the question. As much as it certainly wasn’t clear or straight-forward, it was quite...open of him. She knew whatever her answer was would decide the path they took.

She could ask for an apology for the kiss. No doubt, he’d give her one, before returning to being the stiff, strict Tobirama Senju she saw around the Hokage-tower. She could ask for an apology for leaving as well – again, he’d apologise, and he’d probably blush in that odd way she liked far too much.

Hashirama had asked her to give it a try, had asked her how she knew she didn’t want a relationship without trying it. It was a stupid thing to ask – of course, she knew what she wanted. She wasn’t a child. Then again...was there really any harm in trying it? She wasn’t about to marry the man. Plus, she’d been bored anyway – that had been the reason she’d wanted a new lover anyway.

It wasn’t what she’d been looking for, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy it. And if she didn’t...she could go back to her normal ways. If trying this made both Tobirama and Hashirama happy she could at the very least give it an honest try.

Smiling, she leaned forwards on the edge of the tub. “Neither, Tobirama-san. You don’t owe me an apology at all. Maybe we can work on communicating a little better though?” His lips twitched upwards in a stifled smile.

“That...sounds fair. Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow?” She grinned wolfishly. “We could do that...or you could stay and we could have breakfast together instead?” Tobirama blushed a brighter red than she’d ever seen before – apparently the degree to which she thought he was adorable directly depended on how hard he blushed.

He stayed. They talked. They had breakfast together. Hashirama was delighted. Tobirama still blushed, and Miho still thought he was adorable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> There are plenty of unresolved issues left here - what about Madara? Her other lovers? How does Tobirama REALLY feel? All of these will be resolved in a sequel! Coming soon. :-)


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